Local hospitals work to lower radiation exposure

Monday

Sep 16, 2013 at 12:01 AMSep 16, 2013 at 2:23 PM

By LACEY McLAUGHLINlacey.mclaughlin@news-jrnl.com

Technological advances in medical testing have made it possible for doctors to detect diseases earlier and more accurately. But those advances also come with risks. While the risk of getting cancer from radiation exposure in diagnostic tests such as CT scans and nuclear imaging is relatively low, there has been a sharp increase in the use of these tests over the last two decades. A study published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that CT scan rates tripled at six large health systems in the U.S. between 1996 and 2010. A chest CT scan, for example, can emit 70 times more radiation than a chest X-ray, according to Harvard Health Publications. Radiation exposure has the ability to damage DNA and cause cancer later in life. Local hospital officials say they are taking steps to reduce procedures that put patients at risk for unnecessary radiation exposure. Last month, radiology directors at Florida Hospital DeLand and Florida Hospital Fish Memorial took a pledge to keep radiation doses at a minimum and educate patients. The pledge is part of Imaging Wisely, a national campaign of the Joint Task Force on Adult Radiation Protection that promotes safe imaging practices for physicians and patients. “We want to stay as reasonably low as possible when it comes to radiation exposure,” said Florida Hospital DeLand Radiology Director Wes Harden. “We want to raise awareness about the risks and make sure that technology is used wisely.” The study published in JAMA estimated that in 2010, 20 CT scans were performed for every 100 adult patients. “It's estimated that 2 percent of future cancers will result from current imaging use, if imaging continues at current rates,” researchers wrote. In addition to taking the pledge, Harden said that Florida Hospital has plans to participate in Imaging Wisely's online registry of procedures and radiation doses used by facilities across the country. Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach is not participating in Imaging Wisely's campaign, but hospital officials have already taken steps to educate patients and use the lowest radiation doses possible, said Halifax Radiology Manager Scott Zdanis. “We are going to utilize the most appropriate exam that uses the least amount of radiation,” Zdanis said. “We adopted that position years ago but we have never taken a pledge.” Zdanis added that physicians and health care facilities take Imaging Wisely's pledge “on an honor roll system,” without oversight.When it comes to lowering the amount of radiation patients are exposed to, one of the challenges is tracking a patient's testing history from institution to institution. Records for residents who live in the area for only part of the year are especially hard to track. Warden said that the Affordable Care Act will make it easier to track medical records but until then, patients have a responsibility to know their radiation exposure and keep track of their medical tests. “You have to take responsibility for your own health care — ultimately, it's your own body,” Harden said.Harden also suggested that patients discuss radiation concerns with their doctors and try to determine whether alternative testing methods that use no radiation such as MRIs or ultrasound are appropriate.Daytona Beach resident Phyllis Rehmar, 80, has battled cancer twice. She suspects that a face X-ray used to treat acne at age 12 was a factor that led to her diagnosis of thyroid cancer 20 years later. Before physicians realized the risk of exposing children to high doses of radiation, it was commonly used to treat conditions such as acne, ringworm of the scalp and enlarged tonsils. Despite her past experiences, she said the benefits of a mammogram and CT scans outweighed the risks when was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer last year. “I don't really have a fear of it because testing has evolved so much since I was 12-years-old,” she said. “You can never catch cancer early enough and these test are what helped me maintain a high quality of life.”

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